


Today's Love, Tomorrow's Comeuppance

by Arasei



Category: Gintama
Genre: F/M, Fluff, to make up for the angst :_)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-07-11 18:45:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15978230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arasei/pseuds/Arasei
Summary: Later on during the day, they will escort Princess Soyo in her visit to Great Edo General, and on paper, it's a clean and easy operation, but the Princess has a long and arduous history of being a master of escape, skills which she will surely put to use under the imminent threat of her best friend being at her deathbed. For this reason, Hijikata deems it necessary to send an advance squad to scout the area for potential escape routes and Joui activity.This annoys Sougo greatly."I don't see what the problem is," says Hijikata, lazily filing a report. "I'm putting you in charge of it — weren't you going to the hospital anyway?"Sougo doesn't move from where he's lying spread along the tatami mat of Hijikata's office, but he does scowl rather resentfully at the ceiling despite being unable to see it through the red of his eye mask. "Why," he grits out between his teeth, "would I want to do that?"—Set during the Feigned Illness Arc





	Today's Love, Tomorrow's Comeuppance

**Author's Note:**

> This one's for you Mel! <3

In the time between his alarm clock shrieking its customary wake up warning and him getting dressed, a skirmish breaks out in the mess hall and exactly four people are sent to the infirmary as a result. 

As he listens to Kondou regale the finer points of the gruesome conflict (a battle initiated for the right to eat the cafeteria’s last serving of bacon) at their usual table in the back, Sougo comforts himself in the knowledge that it is just another perfectly ordinary morning. The rest of breakfast is spent shamelessly ignoring his commander as the older man's conversation gradually degrades into the usual verbal onslaught that is his constant praise of Otae-san and their future gorilla children, and glaring at Hijikata for once again managing to avoid death by laxative à la mayonnaise.

It's all according to routine until Sougo is just about to leave for patrol. 

As he opens the door, Shimura Shinpachi enters the Shinsengumi compound, eyes dull and mouth set in a grim line. His dismal expression is not particularly far off the one he usually wears, but the idea of Shinpachi visiting by himself and of his own free will raises significant alarm bells.

Sougo tries to remember if either of the remaining Yorozuya members were recently arrested (he can easily imagine public misconduct or property damage), but arrives at the conclusion that should have such an event occurred, he surely would've known — Danna is the kind of person to make an incredibly loud fuss, and China girl would have already torn the building apart in retaliation.

He can't think of any other reason as to why Shinpachi would take the trouble to visit, and so after a brief form of acknowledgement in the raising of his eyebrows, he asks, "what are you doing here, Megane?" 

He's rewarded with a heightening sense of trepidation when Shinpachi does not launch into his usual tirade at the overused moniker. "I need to speak to Kondou-san," says the other boy tiredly. "It's important."

Sougo narrows his eyes, but for once, he doesn't complain, and he leads Shinpachi to Kondou's office without another word, attempting to ignore how with each footstep the weight in his stomach grows.

Kondou immediately brightens at their arrival. "Ah, it's Shinpachi-kun!" He greets the Yorozuya member warmly, waving them into his office. "What brings you here today?"

Shinpachi sags into the cushion opposite Kondou's desk. "You're going to stalk Aneue later, so I just thought you should know beforehand," he says, looking if possible, even more defeated. “It’s about Kagura-chan."

No, Sougo thinks as he listens to Shinpachi explain Kagura's sudden illness. It's not a normal morning at all.

***

Later on during the day, they will escort Princess Soyo in her visit to Great Edo General, and on paper, it's a clean and easy operation, but the Princess has a long and arduous history of being a master of escape, skills which she will surely put to use under the imminent threat of her best friend being at her deathbed. For this reason, Hijikata deems it necessary to send an advance squad to scout the area for potential escape routes and Joui activity. 

This annoys Sougo greatly.

"I don't see what the problem is," says Hijikata, lazily filing a report. "I'm putting you in charge of it — weren't you going to the hospital anyway?"

Sougo doesn't move from where he's lying spread along the tatami mat of Hijikata's office, but he does scowl rather resentfully at the ceiling despite being unable to see it through the red of his eye mask. " _Why,_ " he grits out between his teeth, "would I want to do that?"

Hijikata raises an eyebrow. "Oh? So you don't want to go?"

Sougo sits up, ripping off his mask so his superior can feel the full force of his glare. Hijikata remains unwavering, meeting his gaze match for match. Regretfully, Sougo thinks of how he should have used stronger laxatives in his tampering of Hijikata's mayonnaise. He purposefully looks away. "I can do recon alone," he manages. "A squad will just hold me back."

Hijikata stares, eyes narrowed and hand curled over the cigarette perpetually held between his teeth. After a moment, he sighs, turning to the window. "Fine. I get it."

Sougo resists the urge to set the Vice-Commander's stupid head on fire. "Do you?"

His superior waves a dismissive hand. "Just get out of here, bastard."

As loathe as Sougo is to follow the simple order, he stands up anyway. "Be back before three," Hijikata calls after him as he shuffles across the room, and Sougo makes a noise at the back of his throat that could be interpreted as affirmation but sounds more like _die, Hijikata-san_ anyway.

It's when he's reaching for the door handle that a thought occurs to him. He pauses, outstretched hand balanced mid-air. 

"Hijikata-san. Back then — you didn't say goodbye to Aneue." 

He doesn't turn around, but the sound of Hijikata's brush skimming across paper stops. The unasked question of 'do you regret it?' hangs in the space between them like unaired laundry.

"Yeah," Hijikata says. "Don't go doing the same."

_Every day._

"Tch," Sougo sighs, finally closing the gap between his hand and door and sliding it open. "This has nothing to do with China."

He does look back then, catching Hijikata shaking his head as he resumes his paperwork. "I never said anything about her."

Sougo pulls a face and leaves before Hijikata can say anything else. There is somewhere he needs to be.

An hour later, Sougo is standing by the hospital entrance. 

Silently, he stares at the glass doors before him, methodically clenching and unclenching his hand. His reflection blurs out of focus and Sougo has to force himself to breathe steadily through his nose, blinking away the image of his sister’s smile. He wonders if Hijikata ever has to do the same.

He hates hospitals.

He pushes open the door.

Sound fills his ears — there's chatter in every corner of the waiting room, noise supported by the tv blaring local news from where it is situated on the left wall. Nurses deftly weave in and out through the crowd as they run in every direction.

"Oi, Nee-san," he says, stopping one such passing nurse, "do you— know..." 

His voice trails off in surprise. 

"Yes?" The nurse prompts, pursing heavily painted lips in impatience.

Sougo blinks. He could've sworn that for a moment, underneath the heavy layer of makeup, the nurse had looked familiar. "Excuse me," he says, recovering. "Do you know the room number belonging to Kagura? She's got orange hair, eats like she's pregnant with ten kids?"

“Decuplets," the nurse absently corrects him, and then frowns. "What business do you have with Lea— I mean, Kagura-chan?"

Momentarily distracted by the unnaturally low pitch of her voice, Sougo fails to notice the slip-up. "I heard she was dying," he says. "I'm here to say good riddance."

The nurse hums in reply and levels him with a gaze that for a fleeting moment, reminds Sougo inexplicably of Danna.

He has to resist taking an instinctive step back.

As if sensing his hesitation, the nurse smirks in satisfaction. "I see," she says, clearly amused, leaving Sougo to wonder if she knows something he doesn’t. Sweeping long dark hair over her shoulder and moving to reclaim the handle of her trolley, she continues, "you can find Kagura-chan in room 156 on level three. Tell her I said hello."

Sougo inclines his head. "Thank you," he says, straightening to read the name tag pinned to her chest, “Zurako-san."

Zurako’s lenient smile abruptly twists into an irritated scowl. "It's not Zurako, it's Ka—"

She's interrupted by a sharp slap upside the head courtesy of what can only be described as a monstrous-looking duck dressed as a nurse. It drags Zurako to the door, blatantly ignoring the latter's vehement protests. "But I haven't even said goodbye to G— AH! Ow, that hurts— Elizabeth, wait!"

Sougo watches them depart with mild interest before he shrugs and turns away.

As he enters the elevator and pushes the button for level three, Sougo tries to imagine what Kagura will look like when he sees her — he’s unable to reconcile Shinpachi’s description with the girl he knows, is incapable of visualising her politely declining free food and violently coughing up blood. 

He frowns and blames the feeling of his stomach bottoming out underneath him on the elevator as it rises.

When the doors finally slide open, Sougo is met with the usual ambiance particular to hospitals. There is no yelling, no shattering of fragile objects as they are thrown, and as he navigates his way through level three, there is a noticeable absence in the back and forth shrieking of obscenities he’s long since come to associate with the Yorozuya. The door to room 156 is slightly ajar when Sougo arrives, and at the sight of it, he falters.

He knows that this entire time he’s merely been convincing himself that Kagura will be fine, that upon his appearance, she will spit forth an unholy barrage of curses and violent threats, his heartbeat will quicken, and everything will be just the way it was.

He knows this, but in seeing the open door and hearing no immediate noise, he recognises some (big) part of him had genuinely thought this would be the case.

" _Don't go doing the same,_ " he hears Hijikata say, and he grits his teeth. "I know," Sougo says to himself, and somehow, he clenches his fists and plants his feet, summoning the courage to stay. 

Slowly, he peers into the room, and his breath catches, because for one awful moment he thinks he sees Mitsuba, pale and dying with a serene smile on her face. But then—

His face slackens.

Seated cross legged on the bed, a vermillion haired girl is inhaling an entire plate of food with gusto. Stacked dangerously above the over-bed table are several empty bowls and trays smeared with leftover food stains. Her face is almost completely obscured by the dish she’s currently consuming, but Sougo would recognise that monstrous appetite anywhere.

Ducking quickly out of the room, he attempts to slow his alarmed breathing. Whatever he was expecting, it had most certainly not been that. Shaking his head, Sougo considers that it was no wonder he wasn’t able to hear anything upon entering the fourth floor. Danna and Shinpachi are nowhere to be found and Kagura, Sougo shudders, is otherwise occupied.

He pauses. But that would mean —

“I’m starting to think that girl isn’t even really sick,” a female voice mutters. Sougo snaps his head to the side to see two nurses walking out of Kagura’s room. As one of them slides the door shut, the first says, “she did a complete one-eighty when those two left the room yesterday. You remember? The white haired man and that boy — oh!” They both startle at the sight of Sougo.

“Excuse us,” says the first nurse, bowing in embarrassment. “Are you visiting?”

Sougo blinks. “No,” he replies automatically. “I’m waiting for somebody.”

The nurses look to each other and give a tiny shrug. “Alright. Look for us if you need anything,” says the other woman politely, and they bow again before they both depart, continuing their previous conversation.

“Don't you think she became a completely different person? She began eating a lot, watching TV—“

“What if she’s just getting better?” 

The woman beside her scoffs. “Trust me,” she asserts. “I may know next to nothing about Yato, but there’s something about her…”

The increasing distance between him and the two women make it difficult to hear what else they have to say, but Sougo feels he has heard enough. He actually kind of wants to laugh. Or take a very long nap. 

Instead, he finds himself vacantly gazing up at the ceiling, valiantly attempting to quash the overwhelming relief felt upon the confirmation of Kagura’s healthy condition.

Speaking of. 

That sadist.

All of a sudden, he’s furious.

“That stupid, China girl,” Sougo snarls, stalking down the hallway to take the stairs. “I can’t believe she made me come all the way here —“

The rest of his journey to the ground floor is spent vehemently cursing Kagura’s general existence, an activity which Sougo executes with extreme passion. He’s prepared to continue doing so on his way back to the Shinsengumi when he accidentally collides into somebody’s chest in the lobby. He looks up, irritated, but all thoughts of arresting the perpetrator are immediately forgotten at the sight of his familiar face.

“Danna,” says Sougo, mildly surprised. “You’re here.”

Looking no different from when Sougo had seen him last, Sakata Gintoki makes a face behind the pinkie stuck far up his left nostril. “Huh? Why shouldn’t I be here?”

Sougo frowns. Unlike with Shinpachi, he's unable to immediately discern anything unwonted in Gintoki’s expression, prompting him to wonder if the older man is already aware of Kagura faking her illness. Choosing to err on the side of caution, Sougo shrugs. “Just thought maybe you went home or something,” he says, and though Gintoki did not ask, he feels compelled to add, “I was just clearing the premises, making sure everything is safe for Princess Soyo’s visit later on.”

“Ah,” Gintoki enunciates, discretely flicking a booger away from their general direction. “She's coming is she? For Kagura?”

“Yes?” Sougo answers carefully.

“Have you seen her yet?” Gintoki asks lazily, moving on to his right nostril. Without confirmation, he continues, “how is she? I’ve been eating breakfast in the cafeteria all morning. I haven’t been since yesterday.”

The man before him hides his concern extremely well, but there is something about the way Gintoki won’t meet Sougo's eyes that betrays his distress.

 _So you’ve managed to fool Danna as well,_ Sougo thinks. _How evil of you, China._

He’s about to spitefully tell Gintoki _exactly_ how Kagura is doing when something past the hospital door catches his eye. Through the glass, he can see the building opposite and the billboard hanging obstinately from its side. _'Tanning Beds For Human AND Amanto,'_ it reads. _'Buy While On Sale!'_

In his mind, an idea begins to form. Really, he considers with increasing smugness, it was justice — for Megane, Danna, and later on, the Princess, of course. It would serve China right for toying with people, Sougo thinks with glee, and outwardly, he reigns in the urge to grin, managing to force out a sigh of great sorrow instead.

“It’s terrible,” he says with exaggerated pity. “She looks like she might keel over any time, really.”

Gintoki stops, the finger in his nose forgotten. “O-oh,” he utters in a stunned sort of way. “I see.”

Sougo shrugs. “I’d say your goodbyes now, Danna,” he says grimly, patting the older man’s shoulder as he moves to leave. “I know I sure did.”

With that, Sougo tucks his hands into his pockets and cheerfully strolls out of the building. It’s a stiflingly warm day on the other side of the door, but he finds that the heat doesn’t bother him.

After all, he’s got a revenge to plan.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick fic to make up for the angst last week. It's been in my folder for a while now, but I've only just gotten around to editing it.
> 
> I guess this is like my take on a deleted scene from the feigned illness arc? Though I very much like the idea of Sougo only finding out after he sees Kagura with the others (and homeboy just _knows_ ), I wouldn't mind if this also happened behind the scenes.
> 
> Anyway, now that that's done, we can get to the _really_ good stuff - HARRY POTTER AU!
> 
> SEE YA'LL NEXT TIME AT HOGWARTS!


End file.
